In a Variety cover story, actor
Jim Parsons talked about coming out gay.
The 46-year-old Parsons publicly came
out in a 2012 interview with The New York Times. “Mr.
Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship,” the paper wrote
without comment from Parsons.
Parsons told Variety that in his
youth “the sight of pride parades frightened” him. “I knew that
there were plenty of people around me – whether they were in my
life or I just was aware of them – that derided this of pride,”
he explained. Later, he said, he decided to “avoid that area of
town” because he didn't like “like crowds.”
Parsons said that he came out to this
family after meeting his now-husband, Todd Spiewak.
“No offense to the lovely men I dated
before Todd, but somewhere deep inside, I immediately knew that there
was no choice left but to deal with this, because to not let them in
on this person I had met was to officially start putting up these
lifelong barriers,” he said.
Nowadays, he feels an “elation” at
being a “full-fledged member” of the LGBT community.
“Once it was out in the public, I was
like, ‘Well, f**k you! If you still have a problem with gay people,
you directly have a problem with me. Being a full-fledged member of
it and claiming it, there was just an elation there, and there still
is! I still feel it. It’s a huge relief, and it’s also really
nice to sometimes be able to feel righteous anger,” Parsons
said.